


Expectations

by Triangulum



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Coming Out, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 08:34:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17422493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Triangulum/pseuds/Triangulum
Summary: Darcy enjoys watching her boys shatter people's expectations of them. People seem to expect Bucky and Steve to be angry old geezers, shaking their fists as they rant about the youth of America. So when a journalist asks in an interview if they just hate things like instant oatmeal and powdered hot chocolate, saying it's not as good as how things used to be done, Steve says, "No! It saves a lot of time and it tastes good. I think it's great." Darcy saves a screenshot of the reporter's dismayed face for a rainy day.





	Expectations

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written Steve before really, and I'm not totally thrilled with the end result, but what's done is done lol. I also didn't mean to make this include coming out, but again, it's here. 
> 
> From an anon prompt: Hi! Do you take prompts? Maybe darcy/steve/bucky for something like "No one would suspect.."?

Darcy enjoys watching her boys shatter people's expectations of them. People seem to expect Bucky and Steve to be angry old geezers, shaking their fists as they rant about the youth of America. So when a journalist asks in an interview if they just hate things like instant oatmeal and powdered hot chocolate, saying it's not as good as how things used to be done, Steve says, "No! It saves a lot of time and it tastes good. I think it's great." Darcy saves a screenshot of the reporter's dismayed face for a rainy day.

The current trend in media is the thirst for information about heroes' private lives. Darcy, as part of the PR team for the Avengers, puts a moratorium on questions about their dating lives and families. Some of the reporters like to push boundaries, but most know that they aren't going to get anywhere and stick to questions that only sometimes toe the line. Recently it's been a surge in trying to get heroes' political affiliations. Or get them to say something scandalous.

"Would you agree that modern TV and movies are boring because there's too much emphasis on political correctness?" a reporter asks when Steve is just out trying to buy groceries.

"I love seeing different stories. Diversity isn't a buzzword, it's the reality of the world," Steve says before going back to buying his tomatoes. 

The reporter looks disappointed that Steve isn't secretly a bigot. Darcy smirks when she sees the clip online. The only media coaching she had to give him for questions like that is to not call the person who asked any foul names.

That's one of the reasons she's with Steve in the first place. Steve is _good_. He doesn't need to be told that people matter, he just knows. She'd dated a man in college who admitted that he didn't know why he should care about others and she'd dipped out of there as fast as she could at 3:00 a.m. in floppy slippers.

Pepper reluctantly allows a Fox News reporter to attend a press conference at the tower, out of what Darcy has a suspicion is just morbid curiosity. The smarmy man asks Bucky if he likes how free speech and their politicians are being attacked. Bucky says, "Free speech is me not getting arrested for telling you you're a goddamn asshole. Or calling the president a goddamn asshole." 

And that's one of the reasons she's with Bucky, too. He is all out of fucks to give and isn't interested in searching for more. He'd spent so much time being forced to be someone else that now, now that he's spent a lot of time in therapy and a lot of time figuring out what he wants, he's unabashedly himself and refuses to change for anyone. She loves that.

Startled and irritated, the reporter changes tactics and asks Bucky and Steve their opinion about the conservative economic plans.

"You do know we were raised in the Great Depression, right?" Steve says, eyebrows raised. "Believe it or not, we don't want to deal with that again."

Emboldened by the other reporter, a local news reporter asks about LGBTQIA+ rights. Pepper steps in to put a stop to what she probably feels is an inquisition, but they're way ahead of her.

"We're all passionate about equality," Tony says smoothly, but Bucky cuts off whatever he was going to say next.

"You know that being gay isn't a new invention, right?" Bucky says, glaring hard. "Do you really think queer people weren't around when we were growing up?"

"Is that how you identify?" the reporter asks quickly.

Darcy knows Bucky would easily say fuck yeah he is and fuck you, but he doesn't. Steve isn't ready for the three of them to be public, and there are enough rumors about his relationship with Bucky as it is. She doesn't care if people know, Bucky doesn't care if people know, but they care that Steve cares.

"No one's sexuality is your damn business," he says instead.

Pepper cuts in there, changing the topic to Tony, who happily takes the limelight off them. It's not the best, Steve and Bucky aren't fond of interviews or cameras in their faces, but it handle it well enough. More than that, the department that handles Avengers-related fan mail and threatening letters reports an uptick in letters from queer kids who feel more accepted knowing their heroes love them, so that's good.

People also seem to expect Steve and Bucky to only enjoy old man activities, like golf and talking about the war, as if they're just younger version of everyone's grandparents, or serious shit like cleaning their knives and shield all day. They'd be shocked to know that they like watching snowboarding and eating shitty take out and playing video games. Steve is a wild man at any racing game and Bucky is an absolute wild man at Mario Party.

Not a damn person would believe her if she told them the former Winter Solider knitted her a sweater when she complained she couldn't find one in the purple that she liked. They wouldn't believe Steve is an avid Parks and Recreation fan. Not a soul would believe that when she took them to an adult store for the first time ever, it was Steve and Bucky that mostly filled the basket with all kinds of adventurous things they want to try, Darcy just adding a couple bottles of lube and condoms.

Darcy is lounging in bed, wearing leggings and the oversized purple sweater from Bucky and flipping through news articles on her phone. Bucky's lying next to her on his stomach, face buried in his pillow, arm slung over her waist. There's a soft beep letting them know someone (Steve) has entered the code to their apartment, and a few moments later, Steve is faceplanting into bed next to Bucky, groaning.

"Long morning?" Darcy asks, looking up from her phone. Steve just groans again, flipping off Bucky when he laughs.

"Why do you guys get a mid-day nap and I had to be Pepper's show pony all morning?" Steve asks.

"You love when the kids visit," Darcy says. It's true, Steve always makes sure to be available when the schoolkids have their tours of Stark Tower.

"Yeah, but their _parents_..."

Yeah, okay, that's fair. There's always at least one chaperone that thinks she (or he) can make Captain America fall in love with them in a single afternoon. Darcy'd had to rescue him last year when a particularly forward husband and wife had tried to entice him to come home with them. Darcy had invented a fake emergency (Code Periwinkle for fake emergencies and quick getaways from social situations) and hustled him out, trying to look very serious and not at all amused.

"It's your turn next time," Steve says, turning his head to look at Bucky. "The kids love you."

"They try to hang from my metal arm like a jungle gym," Bucky grumbles, squinting an eye open to look at Steve.

"You love that," Darcy says, nudging her toes against his thigh. He reaches behind him, grabbing at her ankle and tugging her toward him. She shrieks out a laugh, rolling with the movement until she's lying on his back. Steve snorts at them, rolling to his side.

"Only when it's you, doll," he says.

"Liar," she says, grinning. She presses a kiss to the back of his neck before Steve pulls her by the wrist until she's squished between them.

"Nap now, jungle gym later," he says, throwing an arm over her waist, his fingers resting on Bucky's back.

"This is dumb," she says, face pressed against his chest. "Why are we all squished on one half of the bed when there's a whole empty side?"

"Because Bucky isn't moving," Bucky says, eyes closed again. Steve kicks at Bucky's legs until he gives in with a grumble, rolling over until there's enough room for them all to lie comfortably (it's a California king mattress, really the only option when there are two sets of shoulders like Steve and Bucky's).

The only expectations people have of the two of them that Darcy doesn't want rocked are related to the battlefield. Everyone assumes Captain America and the former Winter Soldier will always be victorious. They'll watch, follow the news with wide, fearful eyes, but they always believe the two of them will come out on top. 

Darcy is good with everyone having that expectation. It's probably unhealthy, but she clings to that when they're out on some mission and she doesn't know if they'll be back. She holds onto the country's collective belief that Steve and Bucky are invincible, her breath held as she watches them battle aliens or robots or other enhanced baddies in the street. 

She knows they're strong, she knows they know what they're doing, but she worries. It's in her nature, she's a worrier. She hides it well most of the time, shielding herself with bravado and sarcastic quips, but something in her heart still clenches when she sees one of them take a hit, even if they stand back up almost immediately. She knows they're doing what they believe in, but that doesn't make it any easier to watch. The only thing worse is not watching.

She never really considered their worry for her. They're protective, but careful not to be overbearing so she honestly doesn't think too much about it. But then she's downtown, walking to get coffee when the ground shakes. She doesn't know what's going on, only that what looks like small robots are flying around above the city, dropping small bomb on the city. 

"Shit!" she says, turning on her heel and running toward the closest alley, looking for any kind of cover. "Shit, shit, shit..."

An explosion in front of her knocks down part of a wall in the alley, and a second later there's a pained yowl. Trapped with a pile of bricks on its back leg in a dirty black cat, eyes wide in pain and fear and damn it, she can't just leave it.

It takes a few moments but she gets the cat's leg out from under the bricks, scooping it up and holding it close to her chest as she runs. She's not immediately clawed to death, which she's grateful for, but also probably means the cat's in shock. 

There's a small alcove farther down that used to be a loading zone for delivery trucks. She ducks behind the bricks right when one of the little robot bombs drops. She screams, can't help it, as part of the balcony above her collapses, dropping in front of her and trapping her in the brick alcove with a mass of concrete and rubble in front of her.

"Okay, okay," she mutters, trying to pull her phone out of her bag with one hand, the other cradling the cat that's begun to shake in earnest. "It's okay, kitty, we got this. Fuck, no service, we don't got this."

No, this is fine, this is totally fine. The explosions are already moving away, like they're going for as much chaos as possible, not targeting anyone specific, so she doubts anything will be back to finish her off. Still, she's trapped with an injured cat and no one has any idea where she is. If her phone doesn't have service, they can't track her, right? If they even realize she's missing. It's the middle of the work day, would anyone expect her to be here? Would they think to look?

She's expecting a very long wait for rescue, if one comes at all. She's sitting down with her back against the wall, the cat calmer now that Darcy's wrapped it in her jacket. There's no name tag, so Darcy's decided it's now Florence. She has no idea if it's a boy or girl cat, but it's Florence now, and she's going to get Florence out of this, damn it.

It's nearing hour two of being trapped and she's starting to get antsy, when there's shifting of the rubble. She scrambles to her feet, holding Florence tightly, and shrinks back into the corner, trying to avoid anything falling on her.

It's not the building collapsing, though. The concrete blocking her in is ripped away and there's Bucky, breathing heavily on the other side, his eyes wide and fearful.

"Oh thank fuck," Darcy breathes. 

She dashes out of the alcove and throws herself into his arms, Florence hissing indignantly between them. Bucky lifts her easily, moving her away from the rubble and a bit farther down the alley so they're not next to a building that's probably a stiff breeze away from collapsing. 

"Bucky," she says when he sets her back on her feet, taking her face in both his hands. He still looks panicked, eyes roving over her for any sign of injury, pausing at the bloody scrapes on her arm, the rips in the knees of her pants. 

"You didn't come back," he says roughly.

"What?"

"You were out - coffee run - you didn't come back. Then we saw..." He can't seem to finish, words failing him. Then he's kissing her roughly, like he never thought he'd be able to again. She wraps her free arm around him, kissing him back just as hard because she gets it, she really does. She does the exact same thing when they come back after a battle, dirty and exhausted and a little bloodier than she'd like.

There are loud footsteps and Bucky pulls away to look, ready to pull a gun, but it's Steve. He's in his Captain America uniform, covered in dirt, and he looks as frantic as Bucky.

"You found her," he says, then he's running toward them. Bucky carefully takes Florence from Darcy and just in time, because Steve isn't slowing down. He grabs Darcy around the waist and yanks her to him, holding her tightly. 

"I'm okay," she says, hugging him back. "I'm fine, Steve."

It's true, even. Sure, she's probably going to shake and have a mild meltdown as soon as she's home and has a chance to change and clean up, but for right now she's okay. 

Then Steve's kissing her, and that shocks the hell out of her more than anything else. Steve isn't embarrassed of their relationship, not at all, but he's very private and never kisses her or Bucky when they're out. She kisses back, obviously, because he's her boyfriend and she loves it, but her mind is racing.

She learns later that she was in the background of a shaky cell phone video that the news was playing while they waited for more information, and Steve and Bucky had flown into a frenzy. 

"We thought we lost you," Steve murmurs against her lips, bending down to rest his forehead against hers. 

Bucky steps up behind her, crowding in and holding her as best he can with a cat in one arm. Darcy keeps one arm around Steve, her other hand coming up to rest on Bucky's arm, letting them both know she's here and safe. Then Steve is raising his head, kissing Bucky and yeah, that's new, too. Not the kiss, but in public. Steve, who longs to keep his private life out of the public view, has just kissed both of them in broad daylight with lots of people around.

"Steve, there are people," Bucky says softly. He doesn't care one bit, proud as hell about his partners, but Steve cares.

"It doesn't matter," Steve says, gripping both of them tightly. "I don't care. I needed you both here and okay."

The sound of sirens is getting closer and Darcy expects to be handed off to a paramedic while they get back to rescue duty, but she's surprised again when Steve easily lifts her into his arms, making her squeak at the sudden movement. 

"Not still on duty?" she asks.

"No," Steve says, kissing her cheek and starting down the alley away from the crowds of people and paramedics. "The others have it handled."

Darcy looks over Steve's shoulder to see Bucky following them, Florence looking happy as a clam to be in his arm. There's a news crew behind them and Darcy turns back around, not wanting to deal with _that_ right now.

Steve and Bucky are both clingy for the rest of the day, not letting her far out of their sight. The only time Bucky is away from her for longer than ten minutes is when he brings Florence to the emergency vet. He comes back with news that Florence is a boy, not microchipped, and is very high on pain pills, his leg in a little cast. Steve halfheartedly suggests bringing him to a shelter, but Bucky and Darcy glare and it isn't brought up again. 

The next day, when cleanup is well underway, Darcy and Bucky are sitting on the couch in the living room, Florence sprawled with his head on Darcy's thigh, the rest of his body on Bucky's. The press conference is about to start, but she's taking a day off so she doesn't have to be there, and if she doesn't, Bucky sure isn't going. Steve had rolled his eyes at both of them, but went anyway. Such a responsible adult.

The first few questions are standard. What attacked the city? Are there any new threats on the horizon? Who's paying for cleanup? Are there any team injuries?

Then come the questions they've been waiting for. Yes, Steve tells them he's dating the woman he was photographed kissing. Yes, also Bucky. Yes, they're all together. No, he isn't going to be giving any more details than that.

"I'm sure the world is shocked that Captain America has not only a girlfriend but a boyfriend as well!" a reporter says, nudging for him to spill more.

"Captain America is symbol. But I'm Steve Rogers, and I'm just a man," Steve says. "And I love my partners."

**Author's Note:**

> If you come to my comments just to say "queer is a slur11!1!1!", I'm cursing you with a thousand bee stings.
> 
> Come talk to me on [ tumblr ](http://www.hotpinklizard.tumblr.com).


End file.
